


The Winter Rose

by starrynightshade



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Based on a Tumblr Post, F/M, Florist AU, mechanic AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25927162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrynightshade/pseuds/starrynightshade
Summary: Arya can't help but notice that a certain blue-eyed stranger has been buying an awful lot of flowers lately...
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters
Comments: 56
Kudos: 279





	The Winter Rose

**Based on** [ **this post.** ](https://she-wolf-of-highgarden.tumblr.com/post/174901711609/so-what-did-you-do-what-what-did-you-do)

“He’s back.”

Arya looked up from where she was arranging a bouquet of roses for a wedding the next day. “Who?”

“The hottie with the blue eyes,” Lommy said as if it should be obvious. “The one who came in for that huge dahlia bouquet last week.”

She remembered. He had been tall, dark-haired and completely out of his depth. Guessing by the grease stains and calluses on his hands, Arya guessed he was some sort of mechanic or repairman. She also may or may not have daydreamed about those hands all over her body for the rest of the week. 

But that wasn’t Lommy’s business.

“I’ll go see what he needs,” she said, drying her hands on her apron and heading out onto the sales floor of the Winter Rose Florist’s Shop. 

He was browsing the selection of pre-made bouquets with his hands tucked in his back pockets and a frustrated look on his face. 

“So, what did you do?”

“What?” He tore his eyes away from the cooler in surprise. Gods, they were so fucking blue it couldn’t be real.

“What did you do? Men usually buy the really expensive flowers when they've done something wrong. Considering this is the second bouquet this month, I’m going to guess you mess up a lot,” she teased.

“I do not mess up a lot!” He seemed to notice his defensiveness just as the words flew from his mouth. Arya watched him take a deep breath and grin a little as he let it out. “They’re for my sister,” he said, much more calmly this time.

“You buy your sister flowers every week?”

The way she saw it, there were three explanations. One was that he was lying and was too embarrassed to admit who the flowers were really for. If he was telling the truth, his sister had to be horribly ill or injured, or they had an unusually close relationship that bordered on codependency. She wasn't sure which one she was hoping to be true.

“No, the last ones were for my mum. It was her birthday. These are for my sister, Bella. She just got a new job.”

“I see. Well, if none of these strike your fancy, I can always make a custom bouquet for you again.”

He scanned over the pre-arranged selections again, then nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. None of these are quite ‘her’ you know?”

“Sure, follow me. Is there a color she likes? That’s usually a good place to start.”

“Pink,” he said, following her to the counter. 

“Alright, let me grab a few options from the back.”

She ignored Lommy’s pointed looks and grabbed a few options in shades of pink, peach, and blush, knowing there were already filler flowers and greenery out front. He picked a few peach poppies and some ranunculus, which Arya settled amongst a bit of baby’s breath and fern fronds in the rectangular vase he had chosen. 

“It’s perfect,” he said, offering his credit card over the counter. 

“I hope she likes them,” she said, desperately trying to think of something else to say before he left -- anything to get him to stick around another moment or two. 

Luckily, he spared her the effort. “Doesn’t your boss make you wear name tags or something?”

“That’s one of the benefits of being the boss. You get to break the rules,” she said with a sly smile. “And maintain an air of mystery.”

“You own this place?”

She nodded and handed him his card back, stealing a glance at his receipt as she did.  _ Gendry Waters _ , she read. It suited him, especially with those ocean blue eyes. 

“Just opened up last year,” she confirmed.

“Well now I feel stupid,” he chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck. “I pass this place every day. ‘Spose I probably should have noticed when it changed names.”

“Oh, do you live around here?”

“Yeah, a few blocks north of here. The garage I work at is just down the road.”

“You’re a mechanic?”

“Yeah, I’ve been working on cars since I was a kid. Seemed like the logical thing. I should actually be getting back soon.”

“Right, just make sure to keep those watered and in indirect sunlight,” she said, nodding to the flowers in his large hands. 

“Yeah, will do. Thanks, mysterious boss lady.”

Laughing, Arya decided to have mercy on him. “Arya. My name is Arya.”

“Gendry,” he replied. “I’m sure I’ll see you again sometime.”

“I’m sure you will.”

He left without another word and Arya tried to get back to work. It was easier said than done when a shipment arrived from the greenhouse with delphinium the exact color of his eyes.

* * *

  
  


She was almost unsurprised to see him the next week.

“Let me guess, your neighbor is getting married? No wait, your best friend got a promotion!”

“Not exactly,” he admitted with a tight smile. “My landlady, her husband just died.”

“Oh gods, now I feel like a complete ass,” she said, covering her face with her hands. 

“It’s alright,” he said earnestly. “We’re not even very close. Really, I’m just trying to get on her good side in case she decides to sell my townhouse. Her husband did most of the property management, so…”

“Bribery flowers. I can do that,” Arya said, mentally going through the inventory they had in the back. “Is she religious?”

“Does it make a difference?”

Arya nodded. “If she follows the faith of the seven, you’ll want white flowers. If she believes in R’hollr though, white would be rude. Red and orange are the traditional colors for funeral flowers. And on the off chance that she follows the old gods, you’d want to send an evergreen wreath.”

“Shit, I didn’t realize flowers were so complicated,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Umm… she wears a seven-pointed star necklace!”

“White then,”Arya said, jumping into action. She pulled down an unremarkable vase and grabbed some greenery for it. “I’ll do some white hydrangeas, and then add a few peonies and roses for interest. That alright?”

“I have no idea what any of that means.”

“Big fluffy flowers, then some nice smelling ones.”

He cracked a grin at that. “Perfect.”

Arya set to work gathering up the stems that she wanted while Gendry (she couldn't even  _ think _ his name without her heart rate increasing) stood on the other side of the counter and watched. 

“So, how did you get into this?”

She shrugged. “I always liked flowers, I guess. There was a shop not far from where I went to school up north, and I got a job there making arrangements on the weekends and helping out with weddings and funerals. I wanted to stay and work full time after I graduated, but my parents wanted me to go to university.”   
  
“Did you?”

“I did. I came out here to get a business degree, and by the time I was done, I had really fallen in love with the area. My mum’s family is from Riverrun, so she’s not too mad about me not coming home.”

“More excuses to visit, yeah?”

“Exactly. What about you? Did you grow up nearby?”   
  


“No, I'm from King’s Landing. Just needed a change of scenery a couple years ago and some friends had found their way out here, so I figured I’d join them. People drive a lot more in the Riverlands, so there’s more work to be had.”

Arya put the final touches on the arrangement in front of her, then reached for some ribbon and a small card to tie around the thinnest part of the vase. “How’s that?”

Gendry took the arrangement in for a moment. “Beautiful. I’m sure she’ll love it.”

“Well, I just hope it keeps you in your home,” Arya laughed. “I’m so sorry about earlier.”

“It's nothing, really. Don’t even worry about it. How were you to know?”

“I still feel bad,” she insisted, feeling her cheeks heat at the memory of her misstep. “How can I make it up to you?”

“How about you just promise not to judge me when I inevitably say something stupid?”

Arya felt her blush grow deeper. “I can do that.”   
  
She gave him a discount as well, though she didn’t mention it.

“Thanks again. It’s a shame about the circumstance, but it was good to see you again, Arya.”   
  
“Likewise. Don’t be a stranger, yeah?”

“Of course.”

She watched him carry his flowers out the door, then sighed and returned to the back of the shop.

“Great, if you’re all done flirting with the customers, we need a massive order of daisies next week, and yellow roses for that wedding,” Lommy said, giving her a judgemental look from his work station.

“Fuck off. I’ll go place the order now.”

* * *

  
  


“A noise? What kind of noise?”

“I don’t know,” Lommy exclaimed, voice crackling through the phone. “If I knew, would I be calling you?”   
  
“Well  _ I _ don’t know anything about cars,” Arya reminded him. “Can you get it back to the shop? I’ll see about getting it fixed this afternoon.”

“Fine, but if the stupid thing blows up and kills me, I’m haunting you forever.”

Arya rolled her eyes at his theatrics and hung up the phone. Of course the stupid van would start acting up when they had three weddings, a birthday party, a baby shower, and an anniversary party over the next three days. Just great.

She finished off the vase in front of her and left Wenda to look after the sales floor while she retreated to her office. There were a few mechanics in the area but the closest was just a few blocks away. Arya said a little prayer to the old gods and dialed the number listed on the website.

“Brotherhood Auto Repair, this is Jeyne speaking. How can I help you today?”

“Hi, I know this is so last-minute, but my van is acting up and I desperately need someone to look at it. Do you have any availability at all?”

“Let’s see here… I think we can make something work. When can you bring it in?”

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

She hung up the phone but stayed put. She had some other administrative work to do, so she figured she might as well get to it while she waited for Lommy to get back from his delivery. She was just wrapping up payroll when Wenda popped her head in, a habit that had earned her the nickname ‘Weasel’ when she had first started.

“Lommy just pulled in.”

“Thanks, I’ll go get the keys off him.”

Much to her chagrin, the van  _ was _ making a noise. It was a sort of ticking sound,like tapping, and the check engine light had gone off as well.  _ Just great _ .

The repair shop she’d called earlier was easy enough to find and Arya parked out front and cut the engine. There were several garage doors on the building that had been left open to let the spring breeze blow through and she could see a few men in jumpsuits working on a variety of cars and trucks.  _ Well it’s definitely the right place _ , she thought as she pushed open the door to the reception area.

“What can I do for you?”

Arya’s eyes widened as they found the source of the familiar voice.

“Gendry?”

“Arya, what are you doing here?”

“I called a little while ago about my van. You work here?”

“Yeah, I’m just covering the desk for Jeyne while she’s on her lunch break. What’s wrong with the van?”

Arya explained the problem to him, trying not to focus on how the tables had turned. 

“That shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll pull it in and ask Harwin to have a look at it. Do you want a ride back to your shop while we work on it?”

“Oh, I can walk…” she started to say, but Gendry narrowed those heart-stopping eyes at her.

“I insist. What if some poor idiot needs flowers for his mum and you’re not there to help?”

Arya nodded, trying to fight her blush. “Alright then. If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Not at all.” He opened a door behind him and shouted into the garage area. “Oi, Lem, cover the desk!”

“You’re not my boss, Waters,” someone shouted back, but they were cut off by the door closing again.

“Now that’s all settled, shall we?”

Arya followed him to the back lot where the employees parked and scanned the various cars there. “Which one’s your car?”

“Oh, I don’t have a car.”

“You’re a mechanic and you don’t have a car?”   
  
“Fret not, m’lady. I’ll get you back to work,” he teased, leading her to the back corner of the lot and handing her a helmet off the back of a dark blue motorcycle.

“You’re kidding.”

He quirked a dark eyebrow at her. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“Not at all. Just wondering how you got all those bouquets home on this.”

Gendry pulled a key ring from his pocket and laughed, a deep warm sound that filled her chest up.

“A cab,” he explained, then helped her onto the back of the bike.

Arya had always wanted to ride on a motorcycle, but the chance had never really presented itself before. As Gendry drove her down the road she couldn’t help but wish it didn’t have to end. She quite liked the feeling of the wind whipping past and Gendry’s soft shirt and hard chest under her hands.

Sadly, it wasn’t very far from the garage to her shop and he was pulling into an empty spot in front of the door all too soon.

“So, what did you think?” Gendry took her helmet back as he said it. 

“I have to admit, I can see the appeal.”

“I’m glad you liked it. I'll call the shop when your van’s done, yeah?”

Filled with unexpected courage from the ride, Arya shook her head. “It might be held up by a bridezilla. Let me give you my cell number instead.”

Gendry fished his phone out and Arya added her contact information, putting a string of flower emojis next to her name before handing it back. 

“I’ll, uh, text you an update once I know what’s wrong.”

“Really? I have to say, my old mechanic never went to such lengths for me. It almost makes me think I might be getting special treatment.”

“‘Course not,” Gendry said, then actually  _ winked _ at her. “Have a good afternoon, Arya.”

Her response of “you too” was drowned out by the sound of the motorbike’s engine as he pulled back into the street and drove out of sight.

  
  


_ Unknown Number: Problem solved! -G _

_ Arya: Really? That was fast! _

_ Gendry: Low oil. When’s the last time you checked it? _

_ Arya: …  _

_ Arya: Never. _

_ Gendry: Keep an eye on it from now on. You’ll probably need more frequent oil changes because of the high mileage you put on it. _

_ Gendry: I can teach you how to check it if you need. _

_ Arya: Yes please. _

Even though nobody was around Arya blushed for having missed such an obvious problem.

_ Arya: Can I pick it up in a half hour? _

_ Gendry: I’ll drop it off at the shop if you don’t mind me driving it. I need your help with something anyhow. _

_ Arya: I don’t mind at all. See you soon? _

_ Gendry: Be there in a few. _

It was less than a ten minute drive from the Winter Rose to Gendry’s garage and Arya was a nervous ball of excitement the entire time as she awaited his return. She was tidying up her work station, trying to keep herself occupied, when he pulled into the same parking spot that his motorbike had occupied not long before. He looked like a god, despite the frayed jeans he wore. 

_ Now that’s a temple I would go to _ , Arya thought.

He seemed more comfortable in the shop this time, which Arya thought might be because he was the expert this time around. 

“She should be running just fine for you now,” he said, handing back the keys. “Harwin will send an invoice to the address that you gave to Jeyne.”   
  
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I would have managed without it this weekend. What was it you needed help with? More flowers?”

“Not exactly,” he said, rubbing at the back of his neck as he’d glanced to the floor. “I could use some advice, actually.”

“Advice? On what?”

“Well there’s this girl I really fancy, and I think she might feel the same, but I haven’t quite worked up the courage to ask her on a date and I’m all out of excuses to keep showing up at her work to flirt with her.”

“Oh,” Arya managed to push out. “I mean, you could always buy her some flowers to help get your point across, I suppose.”

She’d really thought there was something between them earlier, but now…

“Seems a bit silly considering she owns a flower shop,” he replied.

_ Oh.  _ So she hasn’t misread the situation at all. Arya felt her cheeks go hot.

“Well if she owns the place, I see no reason why you shouldn’t just kiss her. That’ll get the point across just fine, I think.”

“Really?” His voice was somewhere between disbelief and pride.

Arya glanced down, looking up at him through her lashes. “Only one way to find out.”

It was all the invitation he needed to take two long steps towards her and capture her face in his hands. Arya let him walk her backwards until she bumped into the counter behind her, stopping her progress and allowing Gendry to lean down and finally join their lips. The contact sent a jolt through Arya that she couldn’t hope to control and ignited the live wires of attraction that had been buzzing between them since they met.

The world around them seemed to fall away and all Arya was aware of now was the feeling of his hands in her hair and his soft, demanding lips against her own. She felt the soft fabric of his t-shirt beneath her fingers, as well as the firm muscle beneath it. He pulled away for a millisecond and she took a deep breath. It was the most amazing smell she’d ever encountered: fresh flowers and oil and _ Gendry _ . 

His hands left her face and she was momentarily disappointed until he reached down and hoisted her up onto the counter, bringing their faces closer together. Arya took the opportunity to wrap her legs around his waist, keeping him captive with her body.

“ _ Arya… _ ” he sighed, grinning a little when she chased after his lips for a moment. 

“Hmm?”

He ran his hands up her thighs and rested his forehead against hers as they caught their breath. 

“I really like you, and I really like this,” he chuckled slightly, “but I want to do this right. Can I take you out this weekend? On a proper date, I mean.”

“Is sunday night alright? Weekends are busy around here.”

Gendry smiled at her and Arya nearly melted. 

“I’ll call the guys at the shop and trade shifts.”

They set their plans, then reluctantly returned to work. Gendry gave her one last kiss before departing and Arya clung to it.

_ Sunday night _ , she reminded herself. She just had to wait until then.


End file.
